The birthplace of the surname Boggan is Cornwall, a rugged peninsula in southwestern England that is noted for its strong Gaelic traditions. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Despite the fact that occupational surnames are rare among the Cornish People, they nevertheless sometimes adopted surnames derived from the type of work they did. The surname Boggan was an occupational name for a maker of bows. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word buga or boga, meaning to bend.

Boggan Early Origins

The surname Boggan was first found in Cornwall, in Treleage, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Boggan Spelling Variations

Boggan Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Bogan, Boggan and others.

Boggan Early History

Boggan Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boggan research. Another 229 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1625 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Boggan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boggan Early Notables (pre 1700)

Boggan Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 22 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boggan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boggan In Ireland

Boggan In Ireland

Some of the Boggan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Boggan family to immigrate North America: Ann Bogan who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1849; Bernard, John, Michael, Patrick, Walter, and William, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1860..

Contemporary Notables of the name Boggan (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Boggan (post 1700)

Joseph R. "Tim" Boggan, American table tennis player inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985

Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.

Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.

Shaw, William A. Knights of England A Complete Record from the Earliest Time to the Present Day of the Knights of all the Orders of Chivalry in England, Scotland, Ireland and Knights Bachelors 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print. (ISBN 080630443X).

Marcharn, Frederick George. A Constitutional History of Modern England 1485 to the Present. London: Harper and Brothers, 1960. Print.

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The Boggan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Boggan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.